Lessons
by SingleDarkShade
Summary: Gideon has shut down the ship as she tries to get the Legends to understand why she's chosen this course of action. Sequel to Broken Trust.


Author's Note: This has been sitting half-finished for a while but as the new series is re-starting on Wednesday I wanted to finish it. This is basically my issues with certain things that have happened in the show this season.

Hope you enjoy.

* * *

Gideon sat in the parlour drinking tea and reading while the team tried to get along without her co-operation. She didn't like doing this but they had to understand that they were being irresponsible.

"There's no hot water," Jax snapped storming onto the bridge, "My shower was ice cold."

Gideon sipped her tea.

"Why is there no hot water?" he demanded.

Mick chuckled from his spot on the steps just outside the parlour taking another drink from his bottle, "Because Gideon controls it."

"She also controls the alcohol," Jax retorted, "Where did you get that?"

Mick smirked, "Emergency stash."

"This is ridiculous," Jax said, "She can't do this to us."

Mick shrugged amused, "Gideon was an AI, trust me she can and I'll bet it's not the first time."

Jax let out an annoyed cry before leaving the bridge making Mick chuckle some more.

"You appear to be enjoying this, Mr Rory," Gideon noted a little bemused.

He saluted her with his beer, "Just looking forward to seeing how far you take this."

Gideon frowned at him, "Do you think I am having fun?"

"A little bit," he replied.

"I am trying to make them understand they cannot just barge around time without thought," she reminded him, "Even you have to agree with that?"

He shrugged making Gideon frown even more. She turned back to her tea and book ignoring him.

x

"Okay, Gideon," Sara appeared onto the bridge about an hour later, "I'm here to talk about this calmly."

Reaching the entrance to the parlour she let out a cry, shocked when she walked into the force-field covering it.

"She's blocked it," Mick noted from his seat.

Sara let out an annoyed huff, "Gideon, I understand you're upset that I called the Bureau and they took Rip from the ship."

"Did you listen to a word I said last night?" Gideon demanded annoyed.

"I heard what you said," Sara said calmly, "You've suddenly decided you're not happy with the way we do things. Which started after you visited Rip. Considering your need to make him happy, no matter how much of an arrogant ass he's being, what am I supposed to think?"

"You have no concept of the connection between us," Gideon told her sharply, "I suggest you take great care regarding what you say about Rip Hunter from now on. I will not allow it any longer."

Sara took a breath, "If we're doing such a bad job then why did you come with us?"

"Because he asked me to," Gideon replied, "To ensure you survived and would be able to help stop Mallus," she folded her arms and stared at the other woman, "Why else would I leave him?"

Sara folded her arms mirroring her stance, "So, you lied to us."

"At the time it seemed to be the right thing to do," Gideon told her.

"Well, it's nice to know that Rip uses you just like he uses the rest of us," Sara noted more than a little smugly.

Gideon frowned before she returned to her seat and the ship shut down completely.

"Good job," Mick chuckled in the darkness, "Piss her off even more."

x

"Nice of you to let us have some light and heat again," Mick noted as he opened another beer.

Gideon frowned at him, "I am not trying to harm the crew, Mr Rory. I just want them to understand their actions have consequences."

"So, you and Hunter finally got your act together," Mick mused.

"That is hardly your business," Gideon replied sharply.

He chuckled taking another drink, "Considering the rumours that used to fly around about you two between the other Time Pigs, just saying it's about time."

Confusion covered her face, "What rumours?"

"He was the first in his class," Mick noted, "And was supposed to get a much newer ship than this. Then you willingly followed him when he went rogue."

"I chose him," Gideon stated with a shrug, "His record showed he would be the most interesting to work with so I fixed the ship allocations."

Mick nodded, "Considering the others that makes sense."

She laughed slightly before she could stop herself.

"The connection thing makes no sense," Mick continued, "They were all linked but I never heard of an AI so attached to their Captain until you. The rest would report the slightest indiscretion to the Council but you hid his wife and kid."

"When we were in the early years of our partnership," Gideon told him, "Captain Hunter nearly sacrificed his own existence to save mine. I was only an AI but he chose to put his life on the line for me."

"How?"

"A Time Pirate we were sent to stop uploaded a virus into his own computer system while I was connected with it infecting me," Gideon explained, "Most Time Masters would have simply shut down their AI and allowed it to be reset."

"Which would lose all memory," Mick noted, "And shared experiences."

Gideon nodded, "We had only been together for a short time and did not fully get along but Rip used the neural link to connect himself to me providing the extra processing capability I needed to remove it."

"Also creating a bond between you like no other," Mick mused, "Did the Time Pigs know about it?"

Gideon shook her head, "The incident was left out of the report. Rip feared it would not be looked upon well and they would separate us when we had just began working well together."

"They would have," Mick nodded, "For any others but they needed Hunter."

Gideon rolled her eyes, "We did not know that if you recall."

Mick finished his bottle and stood, "Shouldn't be much longer before they start trying to persuade you to let things work again. I'll need more beer for that."

"Mr Rory," she called after him, "You've not tried to persuade me."

"Because I know better," he shrugged adding as he headed off the bridge, "And you're right."

* * *

Sara sat in galley waiting for the rest of the team to join her. Every one of them looked dishevelled and grumpy as they took their seats. Thankfully there was bottled water which allowed them to make some tea and coffee as the fabricator was not giving them anything. Ray handed out the cereal bars as it was also the only food there was.

"Okay," Sara took a quick drink of coffee, "We need to sort this out."

Martin sighed, "Gideon has taken what happened with Mr Hunter quite hard."

"She claims this has nothing to do with Rip," Sara replied, leaning back in her seat.

Nate rolled his eyes, "Right. So what do we do?"

"We apologise to her?" Ray suggested.

"For what?" Jax demanded annoyed.

Ray shrugged, "Whatever she thinks we've done."

"Won't work," Mick noted from his corner, "Gideon isn't looking for an apology, she wants you to understand."

"And what exactly does she want us to understand?" Zari asked.

Mick chuckled taking a drink of his beer, "That's what you need to work out."

He walked out chuckling to himself carrying several bottles and Sara threw her hands in the air, "Great."

"Gideon seems to have taken umbrage at the way we deal with anachronisms," Martin noted taking the logical approach, "I suggest we each discuss with her why she's angry with us separately. We'll be able to persuade her to power the ship back up fully."

"We hope," Amaya noted.

Nate gave a slight frown, "Who goes first?"

x

Muttering under his breath Nate headed up to the bridge, he should have known better than to ask that question.

"Gideon," he called when he reached the steps outside the parlour finding her sitting with her back to him, "I thought we could talk."

He heard snickering from Mick nearby but didn't look at the other man keeping his focus on the woman sitting there. Gideon turned to him slowly, placing her tea on the desk. Nate wondered briefly how she was getting refills as she stepped towards him.

"What do you wish to talk about?" Gideon asked, folding her arms across her chest.

Nate took a breath, "You said Rip checked into my timeline when he came back. I take it that means I'm completely inconsequential to history since I got to stay."

Gideon shook her head, "It means that removing you from that period of time did not cause an aberration. You are not inconsequential."

He nodded, "Then why are you mad I'm here on the ship?"

"I did not say that," Gideon rolled her eyes; "You are a good man, an intelligent man but smart does not always equal common sense. And that is something you lack at times."

"Like when?" Nate demanded defensively.

Gideon levelled a hard stare at him, "Julius Caesar stole a book from you, a book that you had been carrying, nearly causing the complete and total destruction of history."

"The guy took it without me noticing," Nate defended himself.

"You were holding it in your hands, Mr Heywood," Gideon frowned at him, "A large book but you were too involved in getting your 'selfie' to pay attention to what was happening."

"Okay," Nate acknowledged, "One little..."

"Revealing your powers to PT Barnum," Gideon cut him off, "Placing the other members of your team in danger because your feelings were hurt and again putting time in jeopardy."

"Isn't that what you're doing?" Nate snapped, "Lashing out at us because you're upset with Rip."

Gideon's lips firmed before she turned to the other man watching them, "Is there anything you prefer?"

Mick shrugged, "Ladies choice."

She nodded and rock music began to blast through the entire ship. Mick saluted her with a bottle of beer while she returned to her seat.

With an annoyed grimace Nate headed back to rejoin the others.

x

"What did you say?" Sara demanded when Nate slunk back into the galley with 'The Final Countdown' blasting through the speakers.

Nate looked at the other members of the team a little sheepishly, "I may have told her she was lashing out of us because she was upset with Rip."

A collective sigh of annoyance went through the room.

"Are you insane?" Jax snapped, "She's already pissed and now...I hate this song."

Sara frowned at him, "Let's give her some time to calm down."

Jax grimaced, "I'll be in the engine room."

* * *

Mick tapped on the wall of the study holding up the tea he'd made for her. Gideon allowed the force field to recede slightly so that Mick could place the tea on the desk.

"Not trust me?" he asked amused.

Gideon shrugged slightly, "Should I? You have betrayed the team in the past, you were Chronos and you have a darkness inside you that honestly frightens me."

He smiled amused, "At least someone on this tin can is honest. Want some cookies?"

"Yes, thank you," she nodded, "Do you think I should turn the music down?"

Mick shrugged, "But you might want to move on from the eighties."

"I always liked this period for music," Gideon told him, "Miranda played these songs whenever she was on board."

"Were you two really friends?" Mick asked as he placed the plate of cookies next to her tea, "Considering..."

Gideon laughed softly, "I loved Miranda. She was a wonderful person who I wish I could have met face to face. She would have loved that I am human now. And Jonas was in many ways my child as much as he was theirs. I loved and treasured him. You may not like nor trust Rip but he was a very good father to his son and did not deserve the pain of losing him."

Mick nodded, "I know," he headed back to his spot, "So, who do you think will appear next?"

x

"Are you kidding me?" Jax marched onto the bridge, yelling over the music.

Gideon lowered the music slightly, "Is there something wrong, Mr Jackson?"

"You've blocked the engine room?" he snapped, "Do you know how dangerous that could be?"

"I am in complete control of my engines," Gideon reminded him, "If something goes wrong I will know instantly and be able to fix them. You forget, Mr Jackson that I do not need you onboard the ship. I do not need any of you. I allow you to remain."

"Of course," Jax folded his arms, "You know, since I'm here why don't you let me know what you think I've done you're punishing us for in Rip's place."

Gideon sighed annoyed, they were not listening to her. Jax shook his head and started walking off the bridge.

"Tell me, Mr Jackson," Gideon spoke up stopping him, "What were you thinking when you started a jail break from the Argus facility?"

Jax turned back, "I was thinking we saved people from torture."

"And what effect did that have on the future?" Gideon demanded, "Do you know the consequences of your actions?"

Jax stared confused before reminding her, "We saved people from being tortured."

Gideon took her seat again, "Did you know that in the original future two days after your jailbreak one of the guards met an inmate he had known when they were children. This started a chain of events which changed everything in just over than a year."

"Instead there was a year less people were tortured," Jax shot back, "It was the right thing to do."

"No, Mr Jackson," Gideon replied sharply, "It meant there were ten more years that ARGUS put meta-humans in cells and tortured them. The two people who were meant to meet that day didn't because one escaped and one was killed."

Jax stared at her.

"Rip has nothing to do with why I have done this," Gideon said softly entreating him to listen, "I want you all to think about what you do when you are travelling through time. You make rash decisions without thinking through the consequences, no matter how many times you have nearly destroyed time."

The music suddenly cut out and Jax sighed in relief.

"You need to think, Mr Jackson," Gideon told him sadly, "Because one day something you do that you believe to be the right thing will cause an aberration that will not be able to be fixed."

* * *

Gideon lay down on her bed both tired and sad after the day.

She remembered when she had first become human, how brilliant and bright the world around her was. Gideon had never felt so alone since she had become human, not even when she was trapped in the apartment/cell in Doomworld.

Closing her eyes she let her mind connect with the Bureau's computers to check on Rip just to have a connection to him for a few moments. Discovering it was night where he was she fixed the cameras into a loop and opened a portal.

"Gideon?" he murmured half asleep getting up off the bed, surprised when she threw herself into his arms. She buried her face against his neck while Rip held her close, his hand gently rubbing up and down her back soothingly.

"What's wrong?" Rip moved them to sit on the small bunk in his cell.

Gideon sighed, "I am trying to make them understand their choices have consequences but they're not listening. They're acting like I am being mean to them because I am upset with you."

"You are upset with me," Rip reminded her with a slight sardonic smile.

Gideon frowned at him, "No, I am upset at the situation but I understand why you did what you did."

"I wish everyone else did," he sighed before returning the conversation to her problem, "Tell me what's happening?"

Gideon explained what she was doing on the Waverider with the crew, frowning when he chuckled.

"Captain?"

"I'm just remembering the first few years of our partnership," Rip told her, "And the way you would discipline me."

Ducking her head with a slight smile Gideon sighed, "You at least paid attention."

Rip pulled her closer, "Why did you come to me? It's not like I can do anything from here."

Moving away from him Gideon lay on the bed curling up, understanding Rip lay wrapping her in his arms pulling the covers over them.

"I'll return to the ship in the morning," Gideon whispered softly, "I just did not want to be alone tonight."

Pressing a soft kiss to her temple Rip hugged her close and Gideon managed, finally, to fall asleep.

x

Waking in the comfort of her Captain's arms Gideon let out a sigh of contentment. Opening her eyes she smiled to find him watching her.

"I miss this," Gideon whispered, cuddling against him,

Rip kissed her forehead, "So do I. But unfortunately you'll have to leave soon."

"I know," she sighed.

Tightening his arms around her Rip held her close, "Okay, I know it seems like you're hitting your head against a wall but they are good people and will listen to you eventually."

"But when?" she cried, "Do I continue what I am doing or do I help them again?"

"You already know the answer to that," Rip smiled.

Gideon cuddled closer to him, "I know I said I wouldn't but I can take you from here. I can bring you home with me."

"We both know how that would play out," he sighed sadly, "I screwed things up, Gideon. It wasn't supposed to be like this."

"I know," she replied frowning, "I need to go. They will find me here if I do not leave soon."

Rip moved away and helped her to stand. Gideon opened the portal to the ship before kissing him once more.

Stepping away back to the Waverider she smiled at him, "I love you, Captain."

"I love you too."

* * *

"Gideon," Martin said as he walked onto the bridge, "I thought I would take my turn in discussing what you believe our errors to be."

She frowned at him, "You are acting as though you have all done nothing wrong. That I am on some kind of vendetta against you."

"Aren't you?" he asked.

Sadness covered her face, "You are my friends, my family since I became human. What I am trying to do is make you understand that you need to listen to those who know more about this than you do."

"I am..."

"Not a trained time traveller," Gideon cut him off, "Yes, Martin you are brilliant. So is Ray and so are the rest of the crew but of you all only Mr Rory has any true understanding of what we do."

"I don't think that is fair, Gideon," Martin told her, "We have been doing this for several years now and we have gotten quite good at it."

Gideon shook her head, "Rip did it for fifteen years alone and never believed he knew everything."

"You still haven't told me what you're angry at me for?" Martin demanded.

"I am not angry at you, Martin," Gideon replied softly, "I am disappointed. You took the ship, my ship, during a mission where both myself and Miss Lance needed back-up."

"My daughter was giving birth," Martin reminded her sharply, "And needed me to be there."

Gideon threw her hands in the air, "This is a Timeship. You could have left a week later and still been there in plenty of time."

x

"I don't know what you said to Ray," Sara noted when she stepped onto the bridge mid-afternoon, "But he looked like someone kicked his puppy."

"I merely reminded him that it was irresponsible for him to interact with his younger self," Gideon replied sadly.

Sara nodded, "You are being extremely judgemental on everything we've done recently. What changed, Gideon?"

"You did," Gideon replied angrily, "You stole the ship because you believed you could do a better job at fixing anachronisms than the people trained to do so."

"We broke things, we should fix it," Sara noted.

Gideon shook her head, "And that is the arrogance I was talking about. You believe you have the right to do this when most people would understand that by breaking something so catastrophically means they should not be allowed near it again."

"You came with us," Sara reminded her, "You let us take the ship."

"Because Rip asked me to," Gideon replied, "But I hoped that after what had happened previously you would at least show some restraint instead of acting like a spoiled child at times."

Surprise covered Sara's face, "What exactly does that mean?"

"You basically had a temper-tantrum when the Bureau came to the anachronism where you brought Ms Tomaz onboard," Gideon stated.

"We were there first."

"In response to Agent Green's distress call," Gideon reminded her, "Meaning they were there first. You then proceeded to put my ship on a collision course with Agent Sharpe's."

Sara shook her head, "I knew she would flinch first and I was right."

"Actually I took over her ship and removed it from our path," Gideon told her, "Which meant I had to apologise to Agent Sharpe and that is something I do not like to do."

"Okay..."

"Then during our last mission in London you dressed as a Police Officer," Gideon continued, "Despite the fact both I and Nathaniel told you it was not accurate for the time period."

Sara rolled her eyes, "So, what did you think I should have worn?"

"Something so that you blended in," Gideon retorted, "You are a time-traveller. Your sensibilities regarding gender roles from your time do not mean you can ignore the way they are seen in the past. You are the Captain, Sara you need to act like it. Your petty dislike of the Bureau, your need to not fit in to the time period we are in have to stop. Sara, you claim you have the right to be doing this, that the two years onboard the Waverider have given you that right so I am asking you to think about everything I have said."

They stood in silence for several minutes before Gideon spoke again.

"You have been my friend, Sara," Gideon whispered, "When I became human I knew I could turn to you for help while Rip was gone. I liked staying with you when we lived in Star City and I am sorry I did not tell you the truth."

"Rip is your Captain," Sara whispered, "You only tolerated having me in command."

Gideon shrugged, "You are my friend, Sara but I am connected to him."

* * *

Sara sat in her room thinking over her conversation with Gideon.

In all the time Gideon had been human she was very methodical, always concerned about the teams' wellbeing and made sure everyone was as safe as possible.

Rip's return hadn't changed that, in fact in some ways she became even more of a mother-hen where the team were concerned but she was also hyper-aware of where he was on the ship.

"You wanted to see me?" Zari poked her head into the room.

Sara nodded motioning her to grab one of the seats, "I need to ask you something."

"Sure."

"You've had some time to watch us and I was wondering what you actually thought?" Sara asked.

"Well, you're all insane," Zari noted with a shrug.

Sara laughed softly, "And Gideon. What do you think of what's happening with her just now?"

"She appears to have her reasons," Zari shrugged, "And, from everyone who has talked with her since she did the shutdown, they're all thinking a lot about what she said to them."

Sara let out a sigh.

"I still don't get the relationship between her and Hunter or how she wasn't always human," Zari continued, "But she is right about a lot of the things she's said."

"I know," Sara let out another sigh, "And she's right about me too. I've been letting my personal feelings against the Bureau and Rip especially cloud my judgement. I've been fighting the wrong battles."

x

Gideon was sitting in the leather chair in the study a book in her hand when Sara walked back onto the bridge.

"Rip was wrong," Sara stated, "What he did was wrong and I'm not going to pretend it isn't. But you're right. I have been so angry at him for leaving and replacing us that I stopped listening to you. I'm sorry for that."

"Thank you," Gideon said softly.

"Do you want to continue with us?" Sara asked, "Or are you done?"

Gideon brought the force-field around the study down and offered Sara the other seat. Taking it Sara waited for the other woman to speak.

"Rip asked me to come with you," Gideon reminded her, "He asked because he knew that the Legends are needed to stop Mallus."

Sara leaned back in her chair for several minutes before asking, "When did you start talking to him again?"

"A few months before we left," Gideon replied, "A man died in front of me when I was at my job and all I could think of was him. He is my Captain, Sara and I have always been his. It is not easy to be separated from him once more but this time I had to make the decision. He asked me to stay with you and I need you to understand that I am here with you because this is very serious. That is the only reason I allowed you to take the Waverider."

"I got that," Sara noted, "With Damien Darhk coming back from the dead."

"Except when Agent Sharpe first mentioned it," Gideon reminded her, "You all made light of the situation."

Sara winced at the memory.

"I am still in contact with the Bureau and I am providing information on our missions," Gideon advised, "I am not revealing any information to allow them to chase us and in turn they are keeping me up to date on Rip's situation."

"Is he happy about that?"

Gideon frowned slightly, "He understands my reasons for not releasing him from their custody."

Sara reached out and squeezed Gideon's hand, "Can we go back to work now?"

Gideon nodded and the ship sprang to life once more.

x

Sitting in her room later that night after Gideon closed her eyes and connected to Rip's cell once more checking no one would be able to hear them.

"Captain," she said, making him start slightly from his book.

"Gideon?" he breathed, "Is everything alright?"

She nodded even though he couldn't see her, "Everything is fine. Sara listened to me."

"I told you she would," Rip smiled slightly, "What about the others?"

"They are following Sara's lead," Gideon told him, "But we shall find out on our next mission."

"Be careful," he reminded her, "Take care of them and yourself."

Gideon smiled slightly, "I will. Promise me you will not do anything foolish."

Rip chuckled, "Talk to me soon?"

Annoyed he hadn't answered she frowned but replied, "As soon as I can. I love you."

"I love you too."


End file.
